Process of treating hydrocarbons and products derived therefrom.



W. M. CROSS.

PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND PRODUCTS DERIVED THEREFROM.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.9.19I5.

Patented 0ct..31,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

o o o W. k & o o W m mm Q Q Q an sraras PATENT carton.

WALTER M. CROSS, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 GASOLINE PRODUCTSCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS OF TREATING HY DBOCARBONS AND PRODUCTS DERIVED THEREEROM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 311, 1916.

Application filed January 9, 1915. Serial No. 1,281."

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, IVALTER M. Cross, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Kansas City, county of Jackson, and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Treating Hydrocarbons and Products Derived Therefrom, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in processes of treatinghydrocarbons and products derived -therefrom and more particularly to aprocess adapted to convert the heavy hydrocarbons into lighterhydrocarbons and to produce new products, from those treated.

Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a process inwhich the hydrocarbons may be subiected to both heat and vapor pressurewhile in motion; to provide a method of treating hydrocarbon oils andthe like wherein relatively small streams are successively subjected tothe action of heat;

to provide an apparatus and process whereby a large body of the oil maybe heated in a closed converter while at no time subjeoting the entirebody of oil directly to the action of the heat; to provide a processwhereby higher boiling point hydrocarbons can be safely and economicallyconverted to lower boiling point hydrocarbons; and in general to providean improved process for treating hydrocarbons and products derivedtherefrom. a

In the particular form of apparatus shown in the drawings, Figure 1shows a general view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectionof the furnace.

1 designates, a furnace having the usual fire box 2, above which islocated a series of tubes 3 opening at their opposite ends into hollowend plates 4 and 5. A plurality of baffle plates 6 and 7 are employed inthe furnace for forcing the hot gases to travel back and forth alongsubstantially the entire len th of the tubes 3 before passingto the stak 8'. Opening into the. lower portion of the end plate 4 is an inlet 9,connected to a source of supply in a manner hereinafter described. andat the upper end of the end a plate 5 is an outlet 10 connected by acon-:' Leading from this converter tank is a.pair of dis-- duit 11 withconverter tank 12.

charge pipes 13 and 14, the latter of which connects with a reheater 15and the former is connected by a T coupling 16 to the supply .pipe 17and the inlet pipe 9'.

oil through the inlet 9; as shown, this pump is driven by a 'motor 19,both pump and motor being mounted on a common base 20.

Passage through the various pipes is controlled by suitable valves; thepipe 13 being provided with a cutoff valve 21 located intermediate itsconnection with the coupling 16 and the tank 12, while a similar cutoffvalve 22 is positioned in the pipe 14 for controlling the passage fromthe converter tank 12 to thejreheater 15. The supply pipe 17 also has acutoff valve 23, this valve being for the purpose of controlling theadmission of the oil to the apparatus from the source of supply.

In starting the process the tubes 3 and converter tank 12. are onlypartially 'filled so as to leave a relatively large vapor space abovethe body of the oil, this space being preferably 50 per cent. or more ofthe entire capacity of the converter. \Vhen filling the tank thevalves'21 and 22 are closed and the valve 23 opened. The oil then flowsthrough the inlet 9 either by means'of gravity presthrough the inlet 9into the end chamber 4:

and through tubes 3. Here the oil in passing through the tubes 3 to theend chamber 5' In order to cause this circulation a pump 18 is employedfor forcing the and outlet 10 is subjected to the action'of the furnaceheat, and after passing into the outlet 10 returned to the convertertank 12. This cycle of operation is continued unt1l the desiredtemperature and pressure are reached, attention being called to thefact. that the contents of the converter tank 12 tubes 3 and theintermediateconnections are under the vapor pressure of the hydrocarbonsand their conversion products. The tank 12 is provided with the usualpyrometer '(not shown) pressure gage 25' and safety I valve 26, wherebythe temperature and pressure of the contents of the convertercanbeobserved.

While the apparatus disclosed is not limited to employment with theparticular process described, and vice verse, I will describe its use incarrying out a process in which hydrocarbons are heated in the closedconverter tank 12 and tubes 3 until the temperature is such that thereis produced a vapor pressure of the hydrocarbons and their conversionproducts out of proportion to the rise in temperature. The treatment ispreferably continued in the converter until there is no longer produceda vapor pressure out of proportion to the temperature. The contents ofthe converter tank 12 are then allowed to cool and are drawn off -Afterthe contents of the condenser have been removed the temperature of thereheater may be raised and hydrocarbons having a higher boiling pointvaporized and condensed in the same manner.

\Vhile the temperatures and pressures at which the process is carriedout will vary through a wide range owing first to the sub stancetreated, and second to the character of the products desired, thefollowing temperatures and pressures have been employed to produce thedesired results. If the con verter tank 12 is partially filled withgaso- 7 pressure.

lene in the manner heretofore described and the temperature raised so.that the pressure increases from slightly above that of one atmosphereto 40 atmospheres, it is noticed that there is no increase of a vaporpressure out of proportion to the rise in temperature, that is, as thetemperature has increased there is simply a corresponding increase inIf, however, keroseneis treated in the same manner, the pressure risesin proportion to the rise in temperature until a temperature of nearly300 deg. Centigrade is reachechafter which there is an increase inpressure entirely out of proportion to the increase in temperature.Similarly,

whentreating 26 deg. Baum petroleum residuum.- there is a noticeableincrease of pressure out of proportion to the increase of temperaturewhen the latter is between 300 and 325 deg. centigrade, that is, atthose temperatures the pressure rises rapidly .,with slight ,,increasein the temperature. While these temperatures and pressures are onlyapproximate and vary greatly according to the substance treated and theproducts de sired, it is noticed that in each'case there is a certaintemperature below which the rise in pressure corresponds-to the rise intemperature, and above which the rise in pressure is out of proportionto the rise in temperature. While the exact nature of the reaction .veryslow. The process is preferably continued until there is no longer anyrise in pressure out of proportion to the rise in temperature. Thecontents of the converter are then allowed to cool Without releasing thepressure except such a decrease as results from the cooling. The productof the converter is then drawn off into the reheater and the temperaturein the reheater maintained at a point Which will vaporize the productdesired. By varying the temperature in the reheater diiferent productscan be condensed and separated.

By the employment of a separate converter tank connected to the tubularheating element, I am enabled to treat a large body of oil withoutsubjecting the apparatus to the excessive strain and resultant danger ofexplosion which is' present when a large body of oil is subjected inbulk to the actionof heat. Moreover, the substances treated are kept inconstant circulation While the '3 construction of the apparatus is suchas to permit a relatively large vapor space above the main body of theoil.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, end plates 4 and 5 are providedwitha seriesof screw plugs 33 and 34 which can be removed to clean out therespective tubes or to withdraw one of the tubes and insert a new one incase one of the tubes gives way. These end plates are secured inposition by a plurality of tie rods 35, the entire construction beingsuch that the device is readily assembled and can be convenientlyrepaired.

While I have stated certain temperatures and pressures at whichgasolene, kerosene and fuel oil can be treated by my process, I

do not desire to limit my invention to such substances or thetemperatures and pressures mentioned or in any manner except asspecified in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The process of treating hydrocarbons which consists in charging aconverter only partially filled with hydrocarbons so as to leave a vaporspace above the main body of the oil, subjecting successive portions ofthe oil to heat until the temperature is such that there is produced avapor pressure of the hydrocarbons and their conversion products out ofproportion to the temperature, and in allowing the contents of theconverter to cool while maintaining the vapor pressure except as reducedby the cooling.

2. Theprocess of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in charging aconverter only partially filled with the hydrocarbons so as to leave avapor'space, subjecting a relatively small stream of the hydrocarbons toheat, circulating the hydrocarbons so as to cause successive portionsthereof being subjected to the heat the hydrocarbons being subjected tosuch a temperature that there is produced a vapor pressure of thehydrocarbons and their conversion products out' of proportion to thetemperature.

3. The process of treating hydrocarbons which comprises compelling abulk supply of the hydrocarbons to pass through a relatively smallstream, subjecting such stream to the action of heat and causing thecontinued circulation of the treated substance through the bull: supplyand the small stream while maintaining both under the vapor pressure ofthe hydrocarbons and their conversion products. I

4. The process of treating hydrocarbons, which consists in charging aconverter only partially filled with the hydrocarbons so as to leave avapor space above the main body of the oil, successively subjectingrelatively small portions ofthe hydrocarbons to heat and returning theheated portions to the bulk supply, the hydrocarbons being subjected'tosuch a temperature that there is produced a vapor pressure of thehydrocarbons and their conversion products out of proportion to thetemperature, allowing the contents of the converter to cool, conductingin vapor form the portion .of resultant products having the desiredboiling point and condensing such vapors.

5. The process of treating hydrocarbons, which comprises providing abulk supply, providing a heating station, passing the material from thebulk supply through the heating station in the form of a plurality ofsets of separate small streams, heating said streams at said station andcausing the continued circulation of the treated substance through thebulk supply and small streams while maintaining both under the vaporpressure of the hydrocarbons and their conversion produets.

6. The process of making gasolene-like products from hydro-carbons of ahigher boiling point than gasolene, which consists in causing a bulksupply of such higher boiling point hydrocarbons to pass in the form ofa plurality of separated independent streams, each much smaller than thebulk supply, subjecting said streams to a relatively high heat andcausing the circulation of the hydro-carbons through the bulk supply andthe small streams while maintaining both under vapor pressure of thehydro-carbons and their conversion products.

WALTER M. cnoss.

Witnesses I E. E. VVALTON, F. L. 'BELKNAP.

